HENRY JOHN
(brother to Charles
Henry John 1843-1909—married 3 Williams sisters)
1851-1922
In the little country of Wales far across the
sea all of my grandparents were born. It is a small but lovely, hilly little
country. Mining is the natural resource of income. Coal miner
heading the list. It is a green inviting place,
the houses are built even with the sidewalks and stand tall and stately. The
people are as a rule short of height but a little plump. They are a very jovial
people, laughing a great deal. They do not have to have a lot of worldly goods
to be contented. For the most part they are energetic and musical, singing
their hearts out as well as being loving and kind. But their families are their
greatest interest.
At this period, Wales was in a financial
depression. Money and jobs were very difficult to get. This was not the only
worry but there was also a religious revival and much dispute about Wales being
forced to join the Church of England.
The church had been restored to the earth in
1830 so was relatively new. The communication and transportation almost put
Europe and America in different worlds, yet Joseph Smith, Jr., was prompted to
send missionaries to Europe. Some went to Wales where hundreds of families
welcomed the truth and immigrated to Utah. Among these families were my
ancestors.
Some histories have been written of my
grandfather, Henry John, of which I am deeply appreciative and thankful. In
this I would like to write of him as I remember him for the first and early
part of my life and also histories and his diaries I have read.
Henry John was born February 15, 1851, at Cathry, Pembrokeshire, South
Wales, to Thomas John and Margaret Thomas. He was the fifth son in the family
of nine children. His father was an excellent shoe maker and taught his sons to
be very meticulous in making shoes. He did well at this business but became
discouraged at this time of depression and worked his way to New York on a ship
to see if he might better himself and family by coming to a new country. He was
disillusioned and became very ill. He returned to Wales. Here his aunt came in
with the news that she was attending meetings which she believed were telling
the truth.
He went to the meeting probably more out of
curiosity to see what his aunt (his mother’s sister) was so enthusiastic about,
but he recognized the truth. He was baptized February 15, 1859. Persecution was
great and on April 16, 1861, the family sailed on New York Manchester Ship for
America. All but the oldest girl, who had married and moved away, left. She was lost track of and never heard from again. This
ship was an old one, and the trip was 33 days. They had a hard difficult trip.
This ship sank shortly after.
Work was plentiful in New York as the Civil
War was demanding help in all fields. The shoe making trade was good making
military equipment, shoes, boots, belts, etc. Soon they made enough to take
them to Winter Quarters, Nebraska. In about 14 months they left for Nebraska on
an immigrant train. The engineer being anti-Mormon was heard to say, “I’ll send
these Mormons to Hell before night comes.” Shortly after a fire broke out in
the baggage car and swept through the entire train. The only thing saved by the
Thomas John family was a few balls of thread for sewing shoes.
They suffered many trials as the 60 wagons and
700 immigrants moved across the plains. Thomas John was heard to say, “I’ll
never grumble if I can ever get to the valleys, even if I don’t have a shirt on
my back.” His son Henry said in his diary, “I believe Father kept his word, for
I never did hear him murmur, though at times he surely had cause to do so.”
They arrived in Salt Lake City October 17,
1862. That same afternoon they took off for Wellsville, arriving October 22,
1862.
President Brigham Young came to their wagon
and invited them to church. There wasn’t room enough in the church for all. The
children were dusty and dirty from the long trip so Thomas declined the
invitation. President Young took him arm in arm and said we are all dirty and
walked him off to church. This very day they were all taken to a stream of
water and re-baptized.
They soon found a small house, much too small
for such a large family, but soon the older boys were hired out and the girls
were hired in homes to help with the many household tasks of those days.
After about six years in Wellsville several
families moved to Haytown later known as Portage.
Thomas and the older boys went but Henry was left to help his mother. He was
disappointed but looked eagerly to the time they could go.
He was fifteen at this time. In the fall his
father sent word he could come. They went with a group to East Portage. It was
a great disappointment to Henry as he looked out over the vast sage brush
country but decided not to grumble. If it was good enough for father, it was
good enough for him.
Soon they homesteaded land in the North end of
Portage. It covered many acres because both father and boys homesteaded. It
reached from the foothills at the West to the river on the East. About the
center of this vast area they built their first home. Later a brick home was
built which indeed was a monument to the pioneer builders. Some of the grainaries still stand in good shape today. The house was
still a mansion but burned to the ground several years ago. It had housed
several generations.
Grandfather, Henry John, met Margaret Rees who
was born in Broadway, Waltonwest Parish, Pembrokeshire, South Wales
November 15, 1858, to Thomas Rees and Rebecca Williams. She came from Wales
while as a child. There was a large family and little means. Great-grandfather
Rees was a very faithful man and did a lot of preaching of the gospel in Wales.
Great-grandmother was also very faithful. They did not all come together but
came as their finances would permit. Just when and how many children came at a
time we do not know but the father and mother and some of the children came on
the Ship Minnesota September 29, 1872.
They came across the country by train.
Grandmother was the only one in her family that stayed in Portage after they
married. Her father died and was buried there.
The Rees family settled in Portage. At first
they lived in a dugout which was replaced with a house as soon as it was
possible. It was humble but love, contentment and harmony were always found
within this home. Laughter and fun shut out envy and hate.
Margaret was a small girl, approximately five
feet tall weighing about 105 pounds. She had healthy skin which she took pains
keeping clean. She would wash her face with soap and water, then
wash it in buttermilk and rinse in cold water. She had beautiful long dark
brown hair, almost black. It was long enough to sit on and it had a beautiful
wave. She also took much pride with it, washing and brushing it often. She
always gathered a few twigs of sage brush and steeped them and rinsed her hair
in the tea. Sometimes she would rub an egg through her hair and then rinse.
This kept it soft and fluffy.
Grandfather and grandmother had a wonderful
life together. They both labored hard. They lived in a lovely brick home,
adding to it as their family became larger. It had four bedrooms, two on the
main floor and two on the second. One of the bedrooms upstairs was kept locked
for a period of time. This was for Grandfather’s brothers that had married in
polygamy to take refuge from the law officers. Grandmother always kept it clean
with clean straw and quilts to keep them warm and comfortable when they had to
come in through the window.
Grandfather answered a mission call to Great
Britain March 16, 1898. Grandmother was left with a large farm and ten children
and expecting the eleventh. During the time of his absence she had a birth, a
death, and a wedding. Her oldest son must be dressed properly for this big
event in his life. She gathered wool from the fences that had pulled from the
herds of sheep as they passed through. This she cleaned, corded, made into
cloth and then made into a suit. Her son always said he was very proud of it.
She also made gloves, stockings, and other things. The socks and gloves
sometimes made them itch as wool will do. She also went in the early part of
summer after summer into North Canyon above Portage taking the cows to feed in
the hills. She took the small children with her and left the older ones with
Grandfather on the farm to help him. In the canyon she milked the cows morning and night. Took care of the
calves. Made butter from the cream. She sold the butter to the cooks for
the shearing corral which was located in that area. If there was more than they
needed she would walk miles to the store to exchange it for calico, thread,
etc. Her butter was in demand and she never had to worry about it aging in the
store. Ethel and Brigham always went to the canyon with her and loved to tell
of experiences there. Grandmother also made cheese. There was one room in her
home that she called the milk room. This is where she did the churning, cheese
making, and sitting the milk in a long line of tin pans for the cream to raise.
She also had a large pantry and a one-room basement. Both were filled to
capacity with fruits and vegetables. She made jam from berries by adding sugar
each morning, beating then letting the sun cook it. It was delicious. Her
floors were scrubbed with lye and were clean enough to eat on.
Grandfather planted the best of seeds to be
found and the best fruit trees. His buildings were built of the best material
to be had. He was very exact in his planting, every row had to be straight and
spaced perfectly. In his diary he tells of how many rows of potatoes were
planted and the kinds, and where the seed was obtained. Many times he wrote, “Margaret
helped me with the planting all day.” He grew apples, pears, plums, prunes,
rhubarb, gooseberries, currants, strawberries, and raspberries. Many of these
fruits were dried and stored for winter. The apples, potatoes, carrots, turnips,
cauliflower, cabbage, squash, and pumpkin were stored in a root cellar. They
also had beef, lamb, pork, and always plenty of chickens for meat and eggs. The
pork was home cured and was very good. Yes, this home was well provided for.
The hay and grains were fed to the animals and also sold or exchanged for other
things.
Grandfather’s father had two wives. One
grandfather and his children always called Aunt Jane. She lived close to
grandfather. She was lovingly and tenderly taken care of. Just
as much as his own mother. Grandmother and her children also were
thoughtful of Aunt Jane.
While Grandfather was on his mission to Great
Britain, Grandmother sewed carpet rags and had carpets woven enough to cover a
long hall, the parlor, the stairs and bedrooms. She was so proud to have the
floors covered when Grandfather returned. It has always been a joke with the
family; Grandfather was educated, had a nice personality, could
communicate well with everyone and a nice appearance so he had been assigned to
the wealthier parts of London to labor. He had seen the best of homes. When he
came home he walked through the house and said, “Well, we must get busy and do
something about our home.” This hurt Grandma’s feelings but she never let
Grandpa know. She was so kind and patient, never lifting her voice and ever
trying to help someone. She never thought of herself. When she was amused she
would laugh until the tears rolled down her cheeks and her whole body shook.
Their oldest son Parley’s wife died leaving
three small children. They immediately took the children and gave them loving
care. There were treated the same as their own. There wasn’t much difference in
some of their ages. One of the girls tells how she cried a lot and Grandmother
would make a bed of two chairs with pillows on them by the window and get her
interested in watching something outdoors. Then Grandmother would go on with
her work.
Another granddaughter tells how she had to
come a long way to school and nearly every morning would get ill as soon as school
started. (She was a delicate little girl). The teacher would get an older child
to take her to Grandma’s who lived close by. Grandma would toast some bread and
make a cup of tea and put her on a bed. She says she remembers feeling better
as soon as she saw Grandma.
This family in the winter evenings gathered in
the parlor around the organ and sang together. Grandpa always saw that a large
pan of red Jonathan apples were polished and ready to eat. They were crisp and
cold. The corn from their own field was popped, salted, and put in a large
bowl. How the children loved to hear it pop and watch the popper fill.
The kitchen was very large with a long table
from one end to the other. Grandma was an excellent cook and the table was well
filled with good food. She baked large batches of bread every day. It was
delicious, made from live yeast that she kept indefinitely. She also had a
specialty of currant bread and plum pudding. How her children (though grown and
families of their own) missed these special treats she made so well.
The table was always crowded because Grandma
not only fed her large family but almost always at three meals a day there were others. Sometimes hired help, other times just people
dropping by for the day or a few days visit. One of the granddaughters said her
table being so long and so many people reminded her of “The Last Supper.”
Grandfather did most of the buying for the
family. Grandma’s clothes were of the best material, almost always in dark blue
or gray. Some of them had a foot or more of silk embroidery. She always had a
beautiful gray shawl which she generally wore but she did have a black plush
coat for special occasions.
In his diary, Grandpa tells of Grandma helping
plant, milk, and carry water to the flowers. This was very hard work for a
woman. He also tells how he helped with the house work. He was a very good
bread maker and took over efficiently when Grandma went to assist those of her
family in sickness or child birth.
In later years they sold their memorable home
to their eldest daughter and her husband and large family. They built a home in
the town of Portage. Here they made a home that was as near as I can imagine
like the Garden of Eden. On that lot were various fruits, vegetables, and
shrubs with flowers everywhere. They had electricity from a generator and hot
and cold water, a bathroom, a lovely phonograph with high class records, an
organ and a library that was envied by many.
Grandfather was a scholar and his learning
went into all fields. After a hard day’s work he would stay up until very late
hours studying, keeping up with the world on all phases. He would also arise very early, stir up a good fire with plenty of wood
and coal and settle down to the table and study. Grandma used to say, “No use
trying to have that table clear, Grandpa has all of his studies where he wants
them so don’t touch.” His library table was of black ebony and beautiful. I don’t
see how he could resist those beds. They were the best with lovely wool
blankets and beautiful quilts, quilts Grandma had made. How I loved to crawl in
one of them, they were so soft and comfortable. Perhaps it was a joy to him to
put the evenly cut wood from the wood house stacked to the top with neatly
piled wood. The coal was in a bin in one side of the woodshed. All out of the weather. He was a school teacher, held many
civic jobs and worked in many church capacities. But his family and church were
predominent in his life. He also in his later years
filled a mission to California. In England he was instrumental in bringing 31
souls to the truth.
Although he did a great deal of good on his
missions his diary shows his thoughts constantly were of his family at home. He
also showed this by the beautiful poetry he wrote to his family. This is one of
the poems he wrote home to a friend while in England on his mission, August 10,
1898.
I am in that far off country from home and
friends so dear
Yet One above is watching me, his still small voice I hear.
I often think of friends at home, of friends so kind and true,
I know they often pray for me, that God may guide me through.
I know his care is over me, I’ll serve Him night and day,
I’ll strive to learn His Holy Law, His precepts I’ll obey.
I’ll thank Him for the many friends he has kindly raised to me,
While far away in distant lands, beyond the mighty sea.
My heart is filled with gratitude, that tongue can ne’er express,
That I’m sent to preach the Gospel, God’s children to bless.
We call upon the great and small, we visit rich and poor,
And tell them that the Lord again the Gospel has restored.
The Elders meet upon the street and sing and preach and pray,
And ask the people to repent for all have gone astray.
And when the Gospel has been preached to all the nations round,
We’ll gather home to Zion where peace and love abound.
In March, 1922, he went to Salt Lake City with
his son Arthur to see him set apart for a mission to Mexico and to see him off.
They were going to the P.B.O. laughing at a joke that had just been told when
he fell dead close to the steps of the P.B.O. March 7, 1922.
An account of an epidemic a graveside service
was held in Portage Cemetery, March 9, 1922. Brother Robert Harris said, “I am
sure that this body will not lay here overnight. I have never known a man to
live as near like the Savior as Brother John. Surely he will rise with the
first resurrection, and that has already begun.”
Grandmother was seriously ill and could not go
to see Arthur off. It was indeed a great shock to her to hear that Grandfather
was gone but as sick as she was she said, “I will not let this kill me, I will
prove that I can stand it for a year.” She had a tumor on the spleen and the
doctors said if she was their mother they would not operate. She suffered
unmerciful pain for the year but the morning of March 1, 1923, she closed her
eyes in sleep for the last time.
Grandmother, a kind,
humorous, loving, patient woman. One of the best had gone to join a caravan of loved ones gone
before. In her funeral it was said, “She was untiring in her work for the Lord,
she gave help to anyone in need, she visited the sick
and shared where ever she could. Everyone admires and appreciates her devotion
and love to her family and her Lord. The day was never too cold, too wet, and
her own health never too poor to give service where it was needed.” Grandfather
wrote lines often that Margaret was spending a day or so with one of the
children because a new baby or sickness was there. He also said he was cleaning
the house ready for her return.
